Timing attachment for photographic cameras



' ping the lower shutter.

UNITED STATES PATENT rrree.

CHARLES \V. STIFF, OF FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS.

THVHNG ATTACHMENT FOR PHOTOGRAPHEC CAMERAS.

. EPECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 336,356, dated February 16, 1886.

Application filed February 'I, 1885. Serial No. 155,189.

To to whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, CHARLES W. STIFF, of Foxborough, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Timing Attachments for Photographic Cameras, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification.

My invention relates to an attachment for photographic cameras for regulating the time of exposure to be given to the plate, and is an improvement upon the apparatus shown and described in the Letters Patent No. 299,289, granted to Nathaniel O. Bousley and myself, May 27, 1884; and it consists in certain novel features of construction, arrangement, and combination of devices for automatically closing' the mouth of the lens-tube at any desired predetermined time after the opening of the same without the intervention of clock-work, all of which will be readily understood by reference to the description of the drawings, and to the claims to be hereinafter given.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a rear elevation of my improved attachment with the shutter closed and the cap of the camera secured thereto but removed from the camera-tube. Fig. 2 is a side elevation ofthe same applied to the camera-tube. Fig. 3 is a front elevation of the same with the rubber bulb and a portion of the pipe broken away. a is a similar front elevation with the tube opened by drop Fig. 5 is a central vertical section of the air-chamber, its valve, and a portion of the airsupply pipe. Fig. 6 is a transverse section through the valve, and showing the locking-catch in elevation. Fig. 7 is an elevation of thevalve-spindle removed from its socket and drawn to an enlarged scale. Fig. 8 is another elevation of the valve viewed from a direction at right angles to Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a transverse section of the valve on line a" x on Figs. 7 and 8, and Fig. 10 is apartial transverse section on line 3 3 on Fig. 3.

In the drawings, A is a plate, which may be of metal, wood, or hard rubber; but I prefer thelatter, and has cut through its center the circular opening A, around which said plate is re-enforced by the rearwardly-projecting circular rim A, to which the cap B of the camera-tube B is secured by screws, as shown in Fig. 1.

(No model.)

C and O are two shutter-plates, of thin and preferably light material, which are fitted to move up and down in bearings formed by the guide-strips A A, secured to the front face of the plate A, as shown in Figs. 3, 4, and 10.

D is a lever pivoted to the front face of the righthand guide-strip A and, extending across the front of the plate A above the opening A, projects beyond the outer edge of the left-hand guide A, and is held in a horizontal position by the wire staple a, when not moved fromsaid position by the application of force thereto, as will be hereinafter described. The lever D is provided, near the center of its length, with the pendent arm D, terminating in a sort of V-shaped double hook, I), with which the pins 0, c, and 0", set in the shutters O and O, engage at the proper times, for the purpose of maintaining said shutters in their uppermost or raised positions.

To the back side of the plate A, at or nearits lower left-hand corner when viewed from the front, as in Figs. 3 and 4-, is secured a hemispherical cup, E, provided with a downwardly-projecting hub, (7, through which is formed the passage d,which communicates at its lower end with the interior of the sleeve d formed in one piece with and extending transversely across the lower end of the hub d, as shown. in Figs. 1 and 5. The top of the cup E is closed air-tight by the rubber diaphragm E, secured thereon by the wire or cord 0, as shown in Fig. 5.

F is a tapered plug-valve fitted to the sleeve so as to revolve therein, but extending some distance beyond said sleeve in one direction, and having formed therein the central passage extending longitudinally thereof for the greater part ofits length, and connecting at its inner end, with the transverse passage 9, arranged to coincide with the passage d in the hub (Z when the valve F is in the desired position, so as to allow free communication with the interior of the cup E. The tubular end of the valve F has secured thereon the rubber tube G, the opposite end of which communicates with the interior of the rubber bulb H, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

To the side of the hub and stand portion of the cup E is secured the segmental plate I, the front edge of which is curved concentric to the axis of the valve F, and has formedupon its side near said front edge a graduated scale, I, also concentric to the axis of said valve, all as shown in Fig. 2.

The valve F is secured in place by the nut 71, the inner portion of which is made cylindrical, and has fitted loosely thereon, so as to be freely moved about the axis of said valve without moving the valve or disturbing the nut, the lever J, provided with the indexpointer i and the outwardly-projecting stop pinj, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4.

The lever J extendsbeyond the front edge of the plate I, and has secured thereto the ear it, through which is made a threaded hole to receive the adjusting-screw K, and serve as a nut'therefor, said screw K being mounted in the pivoted bearing Z, secured to the plate I, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4, so that by turning said screw the lever J may be adj usted'at will to the desired point onthe scale, according to the time that it is desired to expose the plate.

Lis a lever firmly secured to the outer end of the valve Fin position to engage with the stop-pin j, set in the leverJ tolimit the movement of the valve F around its axis in one direction.

The tubular end of the valve F has coiled around it,between the sleeve (1 and the rubber tube G, the spiral spring at, one end. of which is made fast to said valve and the other end extends tangentially therefrom,and bears against the pin n,which projects from the side of the cup E in such a manner that the tension of the said spring tends to turn said valve about its axis in the direction indicated by the arrow on Fig. 2. The valve F also has secured thereto the bent or scroll-like arm n, the outer end of which is arranged to engage with the hook M, pivoted to astand secured to the rear of the plate A, and pressed downward by the spring 0, all as shown in Fig. 6.

A circular plate or disk, p, rests upon the diaphragm E,and is secured to the lower end of the rod N, which has its bearings in the stands N, N, and N and has its upper end bent at right angles or so as to engage with the lower edge of the lever D, for the purpose of lifting said lever when the rod D is moved upward by the expansion of the diaphragm E, when air is forced into the cup E by compressing the bulb H. The rod N and disk 29 are forced down- .ward by the reaction of the spring 1) whenever the pressure in the cup E is reduced by the exhaustion of the air or a portion of it therefrom, the downward movement of said rod and disk being limited by the collar q comingin contact with the stand N, as shown in Figs. 1 and '2.

A bent wire, 0, is connected at its lower end to the movable end of the hook-lever M, and its upper end is fitted to a bearing in the stand N, the elbow or bend 0 being directly above and in near proximity to the disk 12, so that when the disk rises it shall carry upward with it the wire 0, and thus disengage the hookM from the arm n, when the reaction of the spring at will cause a partial revolution of the valve F about its axis, sufficient to shut off communication between the cup E and the bulb H and open communication between the interior of the cup E and the open air through the exhaust-passages in the periphery of the valve F. The valve F has a portion of one side cut away to form a flat surface, f, which commences sufficiently near the smaller end of said valve to cover the outlet of the passage ,d into the interior of the sleeve d", and extends toward the other end of said valve to a point just outside of the scr0ll-arm n, as shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9.

-'A v shaped tapering groove, f isv formed in the periphery of the valve F, and extending circumfereutially of said valve about onethird (more or less) around the same, the center of said groove being in a plane transversely of said valve cutting through the ,center of the passage 9, and its wide end communicating with the space'formed in the sleeve d by cutting away the side of the valve to form the flat surface f, and the sides of said groove converging from said wide end till they meet and the groove terminates, as shown in Figs. 7, 8, and 9.

l The operation of my invention is as follows:

Preparatory to obtaining the proper focus ofthe sitter, the upper shutter, C, is moved upward until the pin 0 set therein engages with the upper side of one arm of the double hook I), the lever D moving slightly about its pivot to permit said pin to pass the point of said hook, and falling again as soon as the pin has passed said hook, thereby carrying the point of said hook beneath said pin, so as to retain said shutter in its elevated position. lVhen the focus has been properly adjusted, the lower shutter, C, is raised, so as to cover the opening A and carry the pin 0 above the hook I), so as to rest thereon and maintain said shutter in said elevated position, as shown in Fig. 3. The operator having previously adjusted the stop-pin j by moving the lever J about its pivotal bearing by means of the screw K until the index-pointer i indicates the desired length of exposure upon the scale 1, moves the lever L into the position indicated in Fig. 2, thereby rotating the valve F about its axis until the hook M engages with the end of the arm a, when the passage 9 coincides withthe passage'd, and free communication is opened between the bulb H, and the interior of the diaphragm-covered cup E. When everything is ready for the exposure of the plate, the operator presses the bulb H in'his hand to collapse it and force the air contained therein into the cup E,'the result of which is to increase the pressure in said cup, and thereby cause the diaphragm E to be expanded, the

rod N, disk p, and the movable end of the lever D to be raised, whereby the hook b is removed from beneath the pin 0 and the shutter 0 is permitted to drop and uncover the 2), all as shown in Fig. 4. The upward move ment of the disk 19 also moves the bent wire 0 upward by coming in contact with the elbow 0, thereby disengaging the hook M from the arm a, and permitting the valve to be turned about its axis by the recoil of the spring at until the movable end of the lever L comes in contact with the stop-pin j, thus cutting off communication between the interior of the cup E and the bulb H, and opening an exhaust-passage from the interior of said cup to the open air, of greater or less capacity, according as the lever L has to move through a greater or smaller are of a circle before being arrested by the stop-pinj, as shown in Fig. at. As the air in the cup E gradually escapes to the open air, the diaphragm E contracts and tends to assume its normal position, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, and, asa matter of course, the disk 1), rod N, and lever D gradually descend as said diaphragm contracts until the hook bis removed from beneath the pin 0, and the shutter 0 falls and closes the opening A, when the exposure is completed. Of course it will be obvious to any one that the length of the exposure will in each case depend upon the length of time required for the air to escape from the cup E, and that will depend upon what part of the tapered V groove formed in the periphery of the valve F is broughtbeneath the opening of passage d into thesleeve (Z and that is readily determined by adjusting the stop-pin j, so that the lever L and valve F will move a greater or less distance about their axis of motion before being arrested.

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. As ameans of timing the opening and closing of the shutters of a camera and thus determining the length of the exposure, the air-chamber E E, passage (1, sleeve d, the taper plug-valve F, provided with the passagesfand g,the flat surfacef, and the tapered peripheral groove f, the'flexible tube G, and the collapsible bulb H, all combined and ar ranged to operate substantially as and for the purposes described.

2. The combination of the expansible chamber E E, the passage (1, and sleeve d the valve F, provided with the passagesf and g, the cut-away or flat surfacef', and the tapered peripheral groovef the flexible tube G, the bulb H, the disk 1), the rod N, the lever D, provided with the pendent arm D, terminating in the double hook Z), the shutter 0, provided with the pins 0 and c, and the shutter 0, provided with the pin a, all arranged and adapted to operate substantially as described.

3. The combination of the expansible chamber E E, provided with the passage (1, the valve F, provided with the passagefg, the cut-away f, the tapered groove f and the arm n, the hook-lever M, the spring m, the lever L, and the adjustable stop'pinj, all arranged and adapted to operate substantially as and for the purposes described.

4. The combination of the-expansible chamber E E, provided with the passage (2, the valve F, provided with the arm a, thespring m, the hook -lever M, the lever L, secured upon said valve, the adjustable lever J, provided with the pointer i, and the stop-pinj, and the index-plate Lall arranged and adapted to operate substantially as described.

5. The combination of the valve F, provided with the arm a, and lever L rigidly secured thereto, the spring m, the hook-lever M, the plate I, provided with the graduated scale I, the lever J, provided with the indexpointer 1", and the stop-pin the nut 75, pivoted to said lever J, the adjusting-screw K, and the bearing Z pivoted to the plate I, substantially as described.

6. The combination of an expansible airchamber provided with an inlet and discharge passage, a device for forcing air into said chamber, and a valve provided with a tapered exhaust-passage and arranged to be automatic ally moved a greater or less distance to regulate the exhaust of air from said chamber, substantially as described.

7. In combination with a photographic camera, a pair ofshutter-plates arranged one above the other and to be moved vertically in suitable guides and provided with supporting-pins, and a pivoted lever provided with a double hook to engage said pins and hold said shutters in an elevated position, and arranged to be vibrated in one direction to release the lower shutter-plate, and in the opposite direction to release the upper shutter-plate, substantially as described.

8. In combination with a lens-tube of a photographic camera, two shutters or lids arranged to be moved transversely across-the. end of said tube to open or close it, a device for locking and retaining said shutters in position with one shutter closing said tube, a device for releasing one of the shutters and causing it to uncover the lens-tube, and a timing mechanism arranged to be set in motion by said shutter-releasing device, and adapted to release the other shutter and cause it to cover the lens tube at the end of any predetermined interval of exposure, substantially as described.

9. The combination of an expansible airchamber provided with an inlet and discharge passage, and a valve provided with a tapered exhaust-passage and arranged and adapted to be moved a greater or less distance to regulate the exhaust of air from said chamber, substantially as described.

In testimony whereofl have signed my name to this specification,in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses, on this 30th day of January, A. D. 1885.

\Vit-nesses: CHARLES \V. STIFF.

N. H. J OIINSON, JAMES F. LEONARD. 

